


S.N.A.P. for Help

by mcloveproductions



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: F/M, I literally dreamt about this and now we're here, If this is longer than 10 chapters then hit me, Like super modern, Mental Instability, Modern AU, Slow Burn, Thriller, a lot of liberties taken in the making of space logic, horror possibly, last kingdom in space, talks of depression, updated tags as story progresses, we gonna get sad too apparently, we gonna get spooky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:01:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29648937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcloveproductions/pseuds/mcloveproductions
Summary: Set in the far future, S.N.A.P is a new line of specialty wear used for communication that's starting to replace the basics cellphones. A bracelet or band is worn that you can snap against your wrist, and you will be linked to a case worker assigned only to you for help. Dr. Eadith Blackley is an astronaut who is currently home on bereavement while her team makes course for a planet currently named Valhalla. She is set to join them on their trip in the next cycle, once they have made it planet side. While visiting the home of one of her crewmates, "Father" Beocca Hart's, wife Thyra suddenly falls into a coma. Thyra was her husband's S.N.A.P. buddy, and was on a call with him when something happened to him which may or may not have caused by her S.N.A.P. hardware. Scared for her team, and equipped with her own S.N.A.P. Buddy, Finan Rowley, Eadith must find out what happened to the Crew of The Bebbanburg, and fast.
Relationships: Beocca/Thyra (The Last Kingdom), Brida/Ragnar the Younger (The Last Kingdom), Eadith & Finan (The Last Kingdom), Ealhswith/Sihtric (The Last Kingdom), Gisela/Uhtred of Bebbanburg
Kudos: 5





	1. Synchronized Neurological Assistant Program

_“One day, I’m going to go to space, Eardwulf.”_

_“You can’t go to space, stupid, you’re a girl.”_

_“I can, and I will. And when I’m up there I won’t miss you. I won’t miss anyone, and I’ll never come back down. Nothing and no one could ever bring me back.”_

_“Not a soul.”_

She was the only one who came. It didn’t shock her, for whatever reason. Eadith Blackley was the only one who truly cared somewhat for her brother, and on the day of his funeral… well, it showed. It took everything in her not to cry instead Eadith focused on the sound of the rain hitting her black umbrella as she watched the man lower Eardwulf's coffin into the dirt. No one but had come to say their goodbyes, though many had texted her and reached out to her to give her their condolences. _Condolences, my ass_. No one was going to miss her brother, she knew that much. Eardwulf had more enemies than she cared to keep track of, and she sure many probably celebrated in silence that he was finally gone.

Hell, even Eadith had somewhere better to be than here watching her foolish brother be buried at only 34.

Over five billion miles away, but better no doubt.

Instead, Eadith decided against her better judgment to not join her fellow crewmates on their trip to _Valhalla_ , the untouched and possible habitable planet found by Chinese astronauts six years ago and verified by NASA only seven months after. A hundred years ago, it would take any government who tried perhaps 700 years to even try to reach a planet that far away.

Today, it takes companies like Mercia Corp about six months.

Eadith tried not to think too hard on how she would rather be on The Bebbanburg with the rest of the astronauts she trained with for over five years as workers for the gravesite started to bury her brother’s coffin.

* * *

“I can’t believe your own father fired you,” Osferth laughed as he placed the two beers from his hand down on the table, “What does someone have to do to be fired by their own parent?”

“I don’t need to explain myself to you, or anyone else for that matter,” Finan growled as he down his third beer and reached for his fourth, “Fuck him, and everyone at that fucking company.”

“Fair enough, but I don’t think drinking your money away is really the way to stick it to your old man, mate,” Osferth replied as he sipped his beer.

“You have no right to speak,” Finan scoffed interrupting a ‘ _Here we go'_ from his friend as he continued to berate him, “What kind of self-respecting fuck works for a father who didn’t even want him-”

“I don’t- I worked for my uncle. Now I work for the man who replaced him.”

“You are a dumb ass, Baby Monk, possibly a bigger one than I am,” Finan smirked as he finished his drink, and Osferth snorted in response.

“I didn’t even spend that long in the church-”

“But the fact that you almost spent your entire life without pussy is something; as a friend, I can never let you live down,” Finan’s comeback got a laugh this time. He didn’t mean to treat his only friend in London so harshly but it had been a whole six months since he had moved to London and back in with his old uni flatmate. It wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful for his friend putting him up as he wallowed in his own self-pity for a bit, but the fact that he had been betrayed by the whole Rowley family still stung and _bad_.

Osferth cleared his throat as he put his cup down, and Finan knew exactly what was coming next, “You know, I could get you a job… if you were ready-”

“Are ya out of your fucking mind?” Finan scoffed sat back in his seat, “I am not being one of those stupid, S.N.A.P. _Buddies_. Your deadbeat father couldn’t pay me enough to sit all day and be someone’s personal bitch.”

“First off, my father wouldn’t be the one hiring you. That would be my boss,” Osferth smiled, “Second off, I wouldn’t offer you a job that any shit head off the street could get. You’re my closest friend, Finan. I would offer you only the finest, you shit.”

“I don’t want to be some twats _Buddy_ , just like I wouldn’t want your bloody King’s voice in my ear as he’s sitting taking a shit,” Finan argued, “It’s a stupid job.”

“The King doesn’t have SNAPware. I don’t even think the poor old bloke knows where he is half the time,” The two boys shared a laugh, waving the waitress for another round, “I’m talking about repping celebrities. Scientists! Bloody military personnel, Finan! There’s a whole special department for those responsible for the people who actually _matter_ in this world!”

“And I’m not quite sure I want them to have the ability to bother me with stupid thoughts and questions twenty-four-seven,” Finan sighed, rubbing his temple. As much as he wanted to mope around and be angry forever, Osferth was right about something; Finan needed a job and badly, "How much do they pay?"

* * *

"You should've told us today was your brother's funeral, Eadith, we all would have come! Isn't that right ladies?" Gisela looked around at the other married women at the table. All of them are either a wife or family member to one of Eadith's crew members. It was a close-knit family Eadith had found herself thrown into so many years ago when she first got her job but eventually she had found herself as one of their own.

Even when her own crew wasn't there, their wives took good care of her.

"Aye, we would've. You shouldn't have been the only one there today, even if your brother was a cunt," Brida smirked as she picked up plates to bring to the kitchen.

"Brida!" Gisela yelled as the pregnant woman waddled away, "Do not listen to her Eadith, her hormones have only made her **more** intolerable than she already was."

"I heard that!" Brida yelled from the kitchen and the other women at the table laughed.

"It's fine," Eadith smiles lightly, "She's right- about Eardwulf."

"Brida cares, just as we all do, Eadith," smiled Thyra, the last of the women at the table. Before she could add anything else there was a loud _ping_ sound from her wrist where a thick silver bracelet was worn, "Ah, it's Beocca, excuse me!"

"Tell him we all said hello!" Gisela called out as Thyra scurried away, Brida returning to the table moments later.

"Not me, I'm still mad at Uhtred," The pregnant woman grumbled as she leaned back into her seat, "And Ragnar for that matter, I can't believe they went without us."

"You're pregnant, Brida," Eadith chuckled as she drank her water, "The company would've never let you go."

"Bloody physicals," Brida rolled her eyes, making Gisela and Eadith laugh.

"I'm sure both our husbands prefer you here on Earth, and not floating around in space," Gisela chimed in with a smile.

"And don't you worry; Brida, we stay back together, we go out together!" Eadith promised fist-bumping the pregnant woman. 

Brida was the crew's zoologist, Eadith their botanist, and when both ladies could not make the trip it hurt Eadith how quickly they were both replaced. 5 years of training all for shit. Brida’s pregnancy was discovered during a routine checkup. Even she was shocked. She and her husband Ragnar had been trying for years, and of course, she had finally conceived after all but giving up and deciding to train for the Valhalla trip. Eadith had got to almost a week until launch when she discovered her brother had gotten into a bad accident and was in critical condition. He lived 5 months longer than doctors expected but died nonetheless. 

None of that mattered though, because they were billions of miles away, and Eadith was here.

“You’ll both get your turn, the next trip gets planned for six months after the Bebbanburg makes contact with the planet’s surface, and that can be any day now,” Gisela told both women, trying to lighten their spirits, “You’ll be back in the sky before you know it-”

“ **AHH**!”

There was a thud as a body hit the floor and all three women jumped from their seats. The petrifying scream woke up Gisela’s youngest somewhere in the house, the sound of a crying child filling the home as Eadith, Gisela, and Brida rushed to the other room. To their horror, they found Thyra on the floor, blood coming from her ears and the smell of burnt skin in the air. The three of them rushed to Thyra’s side, Gisela looking for a pulse on her neck as Eadith looked for the source of the smell.

“She’s still breathing, Brida dial 999 immediately!” Gisela told her one sister-in-law as she cradled the other in her lap.

As Brida stood to call for help, Eadith had found the source of the smell. Thyra’s SNAPware had somehow been fried and started burning into her skin, “What in the world-” as she reached for the band on Thyra’s wrist, Eadith’s fingers were burnt on contact making her yelp, “Bloody hell, her stupid S.N.A.P. shit is overheated!”

“Someone will be here in five, what do we do?” Brida asked as she came back to the room.

“Get me a glove from the kitchen, I got to get this garbage off her wrist!” Eadith told Brida as she lifted Thyra’s wrist in the air, “How did this happen?”

“Do you think the Bebbanburg crew is okay?” Gisela asked quietly, hoping Brida couldn’t hear her from the other room.

Eadith couldn’t respond. At this point, she didn’t have any good feelings about them herself.

And that killed her.

* * *

“Mr. Rowley?” A young, pretty woman called from behind her desk, causing Finan’s head to jerk up and shuffle to his feet, “Mr. Steapa will see you now.”

“Ah, yes thank you…” Finan glanced at the plate on her desk that read her name, “Ashten.”

“My name is Bridgette, Ashten is on holiday,” The girl replied with a furrowed brow as she rolled her eyes.

“Right-” Finan nodded awkwardly as he headed for Mr. Steapa’s office, “Deep breaths, Finan.” 

Osferth had sold this department of The Wessex Corporation rather well. Unlike the dinky, overcrowded offices he had heard most Buddy’s had to work at, the building Finan was in now was grand and spacious. Tall glass windows that went from floor to ceiling and an office setup that made every desk feel like they weren’t on top of the Buddy next to them really did make a difference in Finan’s eyes. Perhaps this place was much bigger than he realized.

But not as big as the 6”4 giant that stood in front of him.

_Good Jesus_.

Finan was a solid 6 foot even, but even this _big man_ even made someone like him feel small, “Mr. Steapa?”

“Yes! Finan, right? Just call me Steapa. Mister makes me feel old. Sit,” Steapa pointed to the empty sofa in front of him. Finan sat down, Steapa sitting in a chair across from him, “Osferth says you’re looking to join the S.N.A.P. Pro team.”

“It’s not just talking to weirds on the phone all day, is it?” Finan asked honestly, possibly too honest for a potential boss but Finan was not trying to work as some rich fucks fool all day.

“Ha, no,” Steapa laughed, pulling out a file from behind him and then handing it to Finan, “I know you worked for our competitor in Ireland for a while. The Wessex Corporation isn’t anything like what you _Irishmen_ got over there. The reach that we have here goes far beyond helping out the average shit on the street. In fact, the position I’d like to offer you is for a… special project we’ve been working on with TWC’s daughter company.”

Finan recognized the logo on the file before it was even in his hand, “Mercia Corp?” He questioned as he grabbed the file, opening it to the first page. The cover page spoke about a mission to a possibly habitable planet currently called ‘Valhalla’ and the ship that was just sent to the planet called The Bebbanburg, “You want me to be a Buddy… for astronauts?” 

“Not any astronauts, Finan, the men and women who are currently on their way to Valhalla are on a special mission to see if the plant can withstand life,” Steapa explained to him as Finan flipped through the rest of the pages. The file spoke _vaguely_ of the Bebbanburg’s mission but had a good amount of deal about the crew that had left on this mission, “The UKSA and Mercia Corp put in a lot of money for this, and the last thing anyone needs is for any of these scientists to go crazy when they are billions of miles from home.”

“So what- I’m a therapist for strangers lightyears away,” Finan put the file down to the side of him and sighed, ”I don’t see how I’m going to help when they’re already gone. Don’t I need to sync with the person I’m supposed to Buddy before your bands can work?”

“ _If_ this is something you’re interested in, we would like you to pair with someone from the second crew. They are in preparations for the second trip now, though it won’t be for another 6 months or so-” Steapa’s words are interrupted by a knock on the door followed by the voice of his stand-in secretary.

“Mr. Steapa, you have a call on line one. They said it was urgent.”

“Thank you, Bridgette,” Steapa turned to grab the phone on his desk, “Excuse me a moment, Finan- This is Steapa,” As a voice on the other side of the phone spoke, Steapa’s face went pale, “Are you certain?... Yes, I can have a team ready within the week. Of course, of course, ma’am,” Steapa rose to his feet, “I’ll get the list for you before day’s end. Goodbye.” Finan sat in his seat and watched as this giant of a man stood for a moment, looking absolutely defeated.

“Uh, Steapa? Everything alright?”

The big man wiped his face, and suddenly became extremely serious, “Mr. Rowley, do you want the job or not? I need to know right now before you go anywhere.” 

“Eh- yes, sure.” Finan agreed, standing up as well, “Is everything alright, sir?”

“Actually, no,” Steapa replied as he crossed his arms over his chest, “No, it’s not.”

* * *

Eadith didn't like going to headquarters. Infact, she made sure to keep her distance at all costs unless absolutely necessary. Being just a lowly Botanist meant she wasn't usually called in for any big meeting like her captain and co captain, Uhtred and Ragnar Santellman.

So now sitting in front of her bosses and head of the company, Duchess Aethelflaed Dawson-Regbo of Sussex and her husband the Duke Aethelred, nothing could make her feel more uncomfortable.

Especially knowing that they both despise her.

And for completely different reasons.

"Dr. Blackley, thank you for meeting with us today," the Duchess spoke first from where she sat with hands clenched tight, "We don't usually see you in the office, but as you know time is currently of the essence."

"Of course," Eadith replied, trying not to fidget in her seat. Or run away, "If there's anything I can do to help, I will most certainly try."

"We are going to be honest with you, Doctor, we believe that what has happened with Dr. Hart's wife might be linked to something that happened to Valhalla and the Bebbanburg crew," Aethelflaed glanced at her husband, who was staring at Eadith in an almost creepy manner, "Mercia Corp has already started to gather a crew to take our second ship to Valhalla. We would like you to go with them."

"Of course I will. Anything to find my crew," Eadith nodded in agreement, "Do you think they never made it to the surface?"

"No," Aethelflaed sighed, "The fear is that they did."

Eadith looked confused, "Ma'am?"

Aethelflaed held up a hand, wiping her face with the other, "We must finish preparations with haste, we need to launch by month's end. Which means-" the Duchess looked over at her husband hesitantly.

Eadith tilted her head, "Yes?"

"We need you to get synced for your specialized SNAPware, Dr. Blackley," Aethelred replied for his wife, "It is of the utmost importance that the whole crew is set up with their S.N.A.P. Pro's before weeks end to make sure everything is up and running properly before launch."

Eadith jumped out of her seat, "No!"

"Doctor-" Aethelflaed started to speak but Eadith cut her off.

"Beocca's wife is in a coma!" Eadith yelled as she glanced between her to corporate bosses, "I am not putting that garbage into my body!"

"Mercia Corp and the UKSA both agree, no one is going that deep into space without the S.N.A.P systems installed, it's too dangerous," Aethelflaed explained from her seat, remaining calm, "if you want to go on the next cycle, you need the SNAPware, Eadith."

Eadith turned away from them, wiping her face as she tried to remain calm. After a few moments, Eadith turned back to face her bosses, "Do I get a choice?"

"If you want the chance to find your team, no."

"Do I at least get to choose the moron you put in my brain?" Eadith groaned, waving her arms in frustration.

"The Wessex Corporation will assign you the most compatible Buddy for you," Aethelred smirked, "I'm sure any man would suffice."

Eadith rolled her eyes, not seeing a need to answer Aethelred's unnecessary comment, "If I get the tech, I can go?"

"We need you to go, Eadith," Aethelflaed explains as she rises from her seat, "Your team needs you to go."

Eadith looks at Aethelflaed and then glances away as she sighs, "Fine. I'll do it for my crew."

"Thank you, Doctor." Aethelflaed smiles lightly.

Eadith nods and heads for the door, knowing at least for her this conversation is done. As she reaches out for the handle, Aethelred calls out one more time, "And Doctor," begrudgingly, Eadith turns back, "We heard about Eardwulf. A shame for someone trying to get back on their feet to go out so young," Aethelred smirks and it makes Eadith feel gross, "Try not to follow in his footsteps."

Eadith says nothing and leaves. Nothing can bother her now.

Not with everything that's at risk.


	2. What's in a Buddy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eadith & Finan get their S.N.A.P. hardware installed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Character first names/last names are taken from the actors. (Tried to give them names that made sense)
> 
> Taking a lot of liberties with how the S.N.A.P. stuff works. It's the future, they have the technology lol
> 
> I am bad with upload schedules & the queen of incomplete fics but for this one, I hope to try my best lol
> 
> Hope you enjoy !

"Good morning!" Osferth chimed as he entered the kitchen of the flat he and Finan shared. His happy demeanor at 7:30 in the morning was enough to make Finan groan and want to crawl back into bed, "Big day today! Ready for your first Pro Buddy Sync?"

"Too much happy, too early in the morning Baby Monk," Finan rubbed his temple as he sunk into his chair, "I cannot believe I’m doing this.”

“Finan, they’re pairing you with a bloody **astronaut** ,” Osferth smiled, clearly more excited than Finan was, “Do you understand how lucky you are? You’re going to be neurologically paired with someone headed for space! I know people in our department that would kill for your Buddy!”

“I don’t even know who my Buddy is,” Finan complained as Osferth snorted, walking into the kitchen to make the pair coffee, “All they told me was that Mercia Corp is doing everything old school. There’s no time to have us meet our potential client so they’re sticking to compatibility tests and sheer _dumb luck_.”

“The old system works, Finan.”

“Yeah, until I get paired with some old fuck or a psychopath,” Finan groans as his head hits the table, “I don’t think I need the money that badly.”

“They’re paying you as a level four Buddy, Finan, you’re taking the bloody job,” Osferth returns with two hot cups of coffee, placing one in front of his friend before sitting down at the table, “Besides, what if you get paired with someone you like?”

Finan lifted his head slightly, “Unlikely.”

“I know people who are best friends with their clients now,” Osferth explained, lifting his cup to his lips, “Hell, I know a few who even _married_ their clients.”

“Is that even legal?” Finan asked, finally sitting up again.

“Sure is, though it is slightly frowned up, it happens,” Osferth told Finan as he lowered his cup, “Listen, for all you know the job is boring, and the person you get never _Snaps_ for you.”

Now Finan was intrigued, “Does that happen? I mean, basic SNAPware costs a pretty penny and I can’t imagine how much SNAPware Pro costs…”

“I’m sure Mercia Corp is covering the costs, but yeah I know people who’s Buddy’s barely bother them-” Just as Osferth was speaking about not being bothered by clients, his own band pinged, “Mine, however, like’s to keep me on my toes.” Osferth snorted as he leaned back and tapped the side of his head where a round chip was embedded into his skin, “Good morning, Doctor… oh of course not, you know there’s no such thing as _too early_ to Snap me.” Osferth raised his finger to Finan, signaling that he’ll be a moment, “I’m not sure, would you like me to find out?” He chuckled. _Guess his client’s a funny one_ , “I’ll find you before I’m in the office, _Snap_ back by 9 if I don’t get to you first… Sounds good, have a good morning Doc. Bye.” By the time Osferth hangs up with his client, Finan is just staring at him in full disbelief, “What?”

“No. Absolutely not,” Finan jumps from his seat, shaking the table and almost knocking over their coffees as he does so, “There is no way in hell I can do this.”

“Finan, it really isn’t that bad-”

“Not bad, Baby Monk, you’re going to live the rest of your life with some _guy_ in your head with no way to get him out,” Finan complained, pacing throughout the flat as Osferth followed, “I don’t think I can do that.”

“Mercia Corp and TWC are going to pay you _three_ times what your own father was paying you just to make sure their astronauts are in good hands. Three times!” Osferth reminded him, stopping Finan in his tracks, “Most SNAPware owners just want someone who will talk to them. Even if it’s just checking in for a moment every day. It’s the easiest job you will ever have, Finan, do not throw this opportunity away!”

Finan takes a deep breath, wiping his face with both hands as his rear end finds a place in an empty chair in the room, “Fine, but if I am miserable for the rest of my life-”

“I know a guy,” Osferth interrupts, making Finan give him a curious look, “He knows how to turn off the S.N.A.P. If it ever gets that bad.”

“One bad call and I’m done!” Finan tells him, and for whatever reason Osferth only smiles.

“Fine,” His friend says, his smile not fading, “We’ll see.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


“I cannot believe that after what happened with Thyra-”

“I know, Brida.”

“She’s in the bloody hospital because of this shit!”

“We don’t know if that’s why, Brida-”

“Uhtred and Ragnar probably don’t even know!” The pregnant woman snaps, making Eadith and Gisela glance sadly at each other, “They probably don’t know… their own sister-” Brida covers her mouth, trying her best not to cry.

Gisela rises from her seat and rushes over to her sister, “Brida, please. We don’t know what’s happened. For all we know, they’re all fine, it's just their bands don’t work.”

“None of their Buddy’s can reach them, Gisela, not one!”

“Brida-”

“None of it works! Not the SNAPware or any of the communication systems inside the Bebbanburg!" Brida argued, pushing Gisela away, "And now they want to send Eadith out there with the same technology? It's a death sentence!"

“Brida, I asked to go. I’m choosing this," Eadith explained as she jumped from her seat and approached her anxious crewmate, "I will not leave them out there alone, I can't. I'm going out there and I'm going to bring them all home. Your husbands, our friends, all of them.”

"But at what cost, Eadith?" Brida all but cried, looking utterly defeated.

"My own life if necessary," Eadith replied without hesitation, "Uhtred and Ragnar would do the same for me. We all know it." Very carefully, Eadith pulls in Brida for a hug, "I'm bringing them home, Brida. For Thyra."

Brida nodded into Eadith's shoulder, and Eadith glanced at Gisela who looked less than thrilled, "You should get going to your S.N.A.P. appointment, Eadith. I'm sure Aethelred will give you a hard time."

Eadith groaned and Brida chuckled. The two women both knew how much Eadith _hated_ the Duke, but unfortunately, he was still her boss, "He'll probably sync you to some perv."

"I'm trying not to think about it," Eadith smirked as she let Brida go. Brida only laughed.

"Aethelflaed won't let him do anything bad," Gisela reminded them both, "Besides S.N.A.P. syncs are neurological, the systems won't work if it's not a perfect match."

"Gisela is right, this is one time Aethelred cannot fuck a _Blackley_ over," Brida added, causing Gisela to hit her over the shoulder, “Seriously?!”

Brida, however, had a point. Aethelred had screwed over Eardwulf years ago, long before he married into the Dawson family business or Eadith had even started down her path to go out into the great beyond. Back when she and her brother were young and gullible. She would never let herself be played by that man again. 

Not that it mattered anymore. Aethelred would not screw this up for her. No one will.

* * *

  
  


It was hard for Finan to sit in the reclined lap seat and wait for the S.N.A.P. scientist to come by to run his tests. Partially because Finan didn’t want to be there, and partially because he knew after this his life would never be the same. It thrilled and scared him all at the same time. The biggest fear was not knowing who he would be paired with until it was already said and done. Who would it be? The company wasn’t giving them the dossier on their client until the pairing procedure was said and done, so for now his future _Buddy_ was a complete mystery.

Finan hoped they’d like him.

Shit, he hoped they’d _never_ ping him.

“Mr. Rowley,” A shorter, bulky man with a beard entered the room, and walked over to Finan, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Pyrlig, I specialize in the installation of S.N.A.P. Pros for Buddys.”

Finan reached out to shake the man’s hand, “Nice to meet ya, Doc.”

“Ready to get your S.N.A.P. gear in?” The doctor asked as he walked over to a table a bit away.

Finan lifted his head from the chair, “You gonna do it right here? I thought-”

“What, you thought I was gonna use a saw to cut your skull open?” Dr. Pyrlig looked back at Finan’s worried expression and chuckled, “God, no. The technology used for the S.N.A.P. system is a lot less painless to install. Still hurts, but not the way it did 50 years ago.”

“Great to hear, Doc.” Finan groaned, trying to get comfortable in his seat. 

A few minutes later, Dr. Pyrlig returned with the same small circular device Finan knew Osferth had on the side of his temple. “This is the S.N.A.P. Pro Buddy hardware. Once this bad boy gets clipped on, it doesn’t come off. I’m sure you’ve read the fine print, but this expensive piece of hardware stays in forever- you okay with that?”

Yeah, Finan had read the fine print. Once the S.N.A.P. hardware was in, there was no getting it out. The chip would send a special signal to your brain, connecting the two on a neurological level. Removing it is a dangerous procedure more doctors wouldn’t attempt. Sure, Osferth says it can be turned off but it can’t be removed.

Ever.

“Yeah, I got it,” Finan nodded with only about 85% confidence, “Chip goes in, doesn’t come out.”

“Good, now I’m going to tell you exactly what I’m about to do to ease the nerves,” Dr. Pyrlig reached back and rolled over a monitor, “Gonna put some stuff on ya to read your vitals, then the chip goes in. Next I literally just push this bad boy into the side of your temple, it’s gonna hurt for a moment or two, but after a while, it goes away. Might also give you a headache, but that goes away too. Sometimes plugging in the S.N.A.P. hardware can hurt the eyes for the first few minutes so I usually suggest you close your eyes. Then I put on your band, SNAPware can come off, though it is waterproof if you fear putting it down and losing it. Replacement bands cost a lot since these suckers are specifically designed for the wearer, especially since you’re gonna be using the SNAPware pro stuff. So moral of the story, probably just don’t take it off. So- you ready?”

 _No._ "Yeah, Doc, just uh- tell me we when I guess," Finan sat back and shuffled in his seat trying to get comfortable.

"Alright, I'm gonna count down for ya then," Finan could hear Dr. Pyrlig slide a chair over, and just as he went to hover over him, Finan decided it best to close his eyes, "Chip's going in, in five… four…"

_3..._

_2..._

* * *

"One!" There was a sharp feeling behind Eadith's ear as the Chip punctured her skins, followed by a hiss and click. The stinging pain lasts for a few seconds before fading, but an uncomfortable throbbing is left behind, "Now Dr. Blackley, the S.N.A.P. Chip will probably leave you sore for the next few days, but you should be healed up before your trip. Anything happens before then, swelling or infection, let me know so we can get you on the right meds before you leave planetside."

"Infection?!" Eadith gasped as she held her hand against where her new _chip_ was installed, "Does that happen?"

"Sometimes, but usually it's from the chip not being pushed in all the way. Not that I've ever had a problem with installation," the female doctor tells her with a smile of confidence, "I'm going to give you a few minutes, make sure you don't get any nausea or headaches then I'll walk you over to Tech Support so someone can show you how to use your SNAPware and band."

"Thank you," Eadith grumbled as she laid back in the chair. The steps out, and a few moments later Aethelred steps into the room.

"Dr. Blackley," The way he says her name makes Eadith want to vomit, "Did installation go well?"

"It did," Eadith replies without sitting up, "Are you checking up on the entire rescue crew or just me?"

"You're not special, Eadith, don't fool yourself," Aethelred snips back, "I am checking up on all the _assets_ for the Bebbanburg rescue mission. You are now embedded with very state of the art, _very_ expensive technology. Just making sure all is well."

"It's fine," Eadith removes her hand from her neck and pushes herself out of the reclined seat. The motion makes her woozy, but she does her best to make sure it doesn't show, "Now if you excuse me, Director Regbo, I have to meet with Tech Support and make sure I'm ready for the trip."

"Ah yes, baby's first Snap I believe?" Aethelred smirks and Eadith rolls her eyes as she heads for the door, "Try not to make a fool of yourself, Eadith."

"I don't plan on it, Director," Eadith snaps back, making to slam the door behind her.

After wandering around the halls for a few minutes; and successfully throwing up in a garbage bin without being seen, Eadith makes her way to Tech Support alone. Upon opening the door, there are a few guys already in the room. Some of which she doesn't recognize, but the others she knows as members of the crew hired to find The Bebbanburg.

Not who she would pick to travel with, but her new crew nonetheless.

"Dr. Blackley!" One of the men bellowed upon seeing her, "Nice of you to finally join us!"

"Lieutenant Heasten, a pleasure to finally meet you," Eadith smiled, trying to play nice with her new team. She knew most of the men and women who were chosen for the rescue team. 

There's a reason they were meant to be part of the second tour.

"The plant doctor finally ready to pop her _S.N.A.P._ cherry," another man called out as one of the TWC employees helped him put on his band, "Welcome to the future, Doc."

"You must be Captain Sigefrid," Eadith approached the dark hair man, taking notice of his mechanical right hand, "I've heard incredible things about your work."

"I heard you passed up the first tour for your _deadbeat brother_ ," Sigefrid smirked as he shooed the TWC employee away, flexing the robo-hand as he stood, "Try to keep your mistakes to a minimum."

Eadith was so shocked she couldn't react as he walked away, the other men in the room laughing at his comment. As stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face, one of the tech guys approached her and touched her arm to get her attention.

"Ready Dr. Blackley?" He asked as he led his hand out for her to start walking. Eadith only nodded, following the guy over to a desk and sitting down in the empty seat across from, “Okay, Doctor, so here is your personalized Buddy Band, if you could just give me your wrist. Doesn’t matter which one,” Eadith complies, holding her left wrist out, “The Buddy Band Pro is made with flexible metals making the S.N.A.P. easy to perform, but near impossible to break. Pro Bands are also waterproof so no worries about needing to take them off during showers. Also, SNAPware only works one way, don’t have to worry about being bothered by your Buddy because only you can call them. Everything is done on your time when you need help.”

The tech guy clips the black Buddy Band to Eadith’s wrist, and once one her a little white dot shines, showing its operational, “So that’s it? I’m online?”

“Yup, you already have the S.N.A.P. installed and the bracelet reads DNA from your skin recognizing who you are. It also is solar charged, so no need to worry about taking it off to plug it in. There is also a specialized battery saving mode you can access from your phone even once your in space, so you won’t have to worry about not being able to access anything once you’re no longer planetside,” The guy typed something into the computer than looked back to Eadith, “Well, you ready?

“Ready?” Eadith questioned, “For what, exactly?”

“To test out your SNAPware,” The tech smiled innocently, “Just snap the band lightly to your wrist to ring your Buddy, they’re on standby in our other facility waiting for your test call. Whenever you’re ready.”

The tech sat back, staring at Eadith as he waited for her to test the band. Eadith looked down at her wrist, and in the back of her mind, all she could think of was the red burn that Thyra’s band had left behind. It made her nauseous, but that would not stop her from doing what she needed to. She would get to Valhalla, and not even her new SNAPware would stop her. 

So after a deep breath, she reached down to her black band and performed her first _S.N.A.P._

There was a ringing tone inside her head. Coming from the S.N.A.P. chip behind her ear, Eadith figured. It rang only for a moment or two, and then finally a voice inside her head finally picked up.

**“Hello?”**

* * *

“Um, hi,” It was a woman’s voice. Sweet sounding and clear as day inside his mind, “I guess this thing works, huh?”

“I guess so,” Finan chuckled, disgusted with how smitten he was with a total stranger he hasn’t even seen yet, “It’s nice to meet you, my name is Finan Rowley. I’m going to be your SNAPware Pro Buddy.”

Across from him was Osferth, who slid over a file for Finan to read. Upon opening it, it was a quick dossier on his client; Doctor Eadith Blackley, a Botanist hired originally for _tour one_ on the Bebbanburg. Hidden amongst the pages there was a picture paired with her paperwork.

_Fuck, she’s gorgeous._

“Lovely,” She sounded annoyed, did he manage to annoy her already? “Listen here, Finan, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t want a _Buddy_ , nor do I need one for that matter! The only reason I decided to get this _bloody chip_ put in my head was so Mercia Corp can let me on that damn ship and send me to Vahalla to find my team!” 

Finan glanced at Osferth, his confused expression catching his friends attention, “Well I’m sorry if I’ve done anything wrong-”

“Let me say this only once!” Eadith snapped in his head, “I am **never** going to need you? Do you understand? I will not _S.N.A.P._ for you, or even think about calling for your help. I do not want it! Good day, Mr. Rowley… now how do I hang up this bloody thing!?”

There was a beeping sound and then silence; leaving Finan sitting there in utter confusion.

“So… that went well, huh?” Osferth chuckled watching Finan sulk back into his chair.

Finan scoffs, running a hand through his hair, “She promises to never need me.”

“Good, that’s what you wanted, isn’t it? A client who won’t bother you,” Osferth shrugged, rising from his seat to walk away, “Congratulations, your job is going to be a breeze.”

“Yeah,” Finan grumbled; realizing that _wasn’t_ what he wanted in the slightest, “It’s gonna be great.” 

_Fucking fantastic..._


	3. It’s Okay To Need Me Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finan feels the side effects of not hearing from his client, & Eadith realizes being alone in space is harder than she thought.

Six months.

That’s how long it’s been since Eadith’s last ping. She had made good on her promise not to need Finan and, at first, it made him feel silly. Day in and day out Finan finds himself in the office, sitting at his desk and staring at his screen wondering what the hell he’s doing with himself. There wasn’t much work he could do if Eadith wouldn’t ping him, and since the S.N.A.P. only went one way, all he had left to do is sit around during the workday and stare at his computer. Nowadays, it made him feel miserable.

Which did not help a thing.

A _neat_ feature of his job; which he hadn’t figured out until after a month of working for TWC, was that the S.N.A.P. chips did more than let him telecommunicate with Eadith. In fact, some of the other functions of the chip made Finan feel like an all around creep. The chip had the power to basically scan Eadith’s thoughts. A few simple clicks away from his computer or phone, Finan had the ability to access Eadith’s moods, heart rate, her blood pressure. Hell,the damn thing even told him when she was _menstruating._

Talk about **invasive**.

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

The worst thing about his job was watching all this happen and not being able to help. Eadith’s heart rate goes up a lot. _Probably panic attacks,_ Osferth told him as he showed Finan how to read the S.N.A.P. charts the system would send them every week. It gave _him_ panic attacks thinking about how Eadith was having panic attacks while in space, of all places. Finan was told by Osferth, Steapa, and other coworkers that if a client wouldn’t S.N.A.P. him when in need it wasn’t his fault. The company even offered him therapy at one point. It got **that bad.**

“Sometimes there’s just nothing we can do,” Osferth told him one night while grabbing after-work drinks at the pub, “Client’s like Eadith are a rarity, but they do happen. Sometimes people get really depressed and there’s nothing we can do.”

“The whole point of the fucking band is so you have someone to talk to during bad times,” Finan grumbled, barely touching his drink, “I didn’t realize being this useless would suck so much.”

“It could be worse,” Osferth smirk, “She could be an asshole.”

“Oh fuck off,” Finan groaned, covering his face, “This is a fucking nightmare.”

“You never know what the system is gonna give you, Finan, it’s out of your hands,” Osferth tried to explain, “Drink, please. I hate when you’re the miserable one.”

“What is the point of us being compatible if she doesn’t reach out!? What was the point of getting the S.N.A.P. chip if she didn’t want to use it!” Finan growled, slamming a hand down on the table.

“The whole Beamfleot crew had to get it, Finan, it’s not her fault just like it’s not yours,” Osferth told him, lifting his beer for a sip, “You can sit here and wallow all you want, at least you’re getting paid.”

“Tell me this ridiculous connection to someone I’ve never met is a bad side effect, please,” Finan complained as he finally reached for his cup, “I can’t even sleep at night with how much this drives me crazy.”

“It’s possible. It’s almost unseen for two people connected by the S.N.A.P. to go this long without communication and not just turn off the S.N.A.P. systems, but unfortunately, I’m not a S.N.A.P. scientist, so I’m not sure,” Osferth explained as he ruffled his own head, “Listen, Finan, maybe you should see the company therapist-”

“Absolutely not.”

“You’re not okay, Finan,” Osferth finally snapped, “You're not. You’re obsessing over this and it’s not healthy. I’m sorry I got you the job, okay? But you need help.”

Finan sighed with his hands over his head, feeling utterly defeated. Osferth was right, he was losing his mind over the Eadith thing. It was killing him that he wasn’t able to do his job and help her, even if he didn’t want the job in the first place. Knowing that she suffers and he can’t help was enough to mess him up. He couldn’t live like this anymore. It wasn’t healthy. It wasn’t _fair._

“Yeah, fine,” Finan grumbled as he sulked into his seat, “I’ll see your _bloody_ therapist, but I’m not gonna like it.”

Osferth smiled, tipping his drink to Finan, “There’s the Finan I know, thanks mate.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


If Eadith were to say that she hadn't thought about using her SNAPware once in the last 6 months, she would be lying. She had thought about it, **a lot**. More than she cared to admit. 

Because space was hard.

Harder than she imagined.

The state of the art ship she was on, The Beamfleot, was not the problem. It was a large, technologically advanced, ship with all the high-tech gear and things needed to keep the crew of 10 entertained during their travel to Valhalla. It was the crew itself that made Eadith want to pull her hair out.

There was Lt. Jeppe Heasten. He was without a doubt the follower type, as he was constantly all but literally kissing Captain Sigefrid Bengtsson's ass. Dr. Thea Sofie Skade; Medicine, was… a character, to say the least. And her boyfriend, Dr. Sigurd Bloodhair, was worse. At least, Eadith thought it was her boyfriend. They argued… a lot. Then there was the captain's brother, Erik. He seemed less dickish than his older brother, but Eadith still kept her distance. Finally, there were four men from the company whose names she did not bother to learn. They were all soldiers, not doctors. Eadith knew one of the men's names was Dagfin. Whether that was a first or last name she did not bother to ask.

This crew was not hers, and they were quick to make that clear.

Eadith was made an outcast. None of them liked her. Heasten perhaps wanted to fuck her given the chance, but other than that she had no allies here. She walked the Beamfleot constantly on her toes, wondering who was going to pick a fight with her each day. At night she lied in bed and tried to sleep, though part of her was scared too. She didn't think anyone would do anything to her as she did, but Eadith also didn't want to find out.

The whole thing almost made her want to _S.N.A.P._ her buddy.

Almost.

She knew they were close. Valhalla was a six-month trip. They were due to arrive at the planet any day now. All she had to do was hold out until she found The Bebbanburg, and once her crew was recovered she would finally be back in good company. People who **actually** wanted to speak to her. People who weren't her Buddy.

Because _he_ definitely didn't want to speak to her.

Did he?

Eadith almost pulled on her band one night. When she had a nasty run-in with Sigefrid, who made her feel lower than dirt. She went back to her room that night and cried hard. She had almost used her band but then chose not to. Eadith would not rely on this stranger, she refused.

So why did she miss a man she never met?

"Dr. Blackley," Dagfin called out to her from the doorway of the lab. Eadith turned around, semi shocked someone found her here. No one ever came to this side of the ship, "Captain Sigefrid is calling a meeting. We should be approaching Valhalla within the next hour or so."

_Thank God._

"I shall be there in a moment," Eadith replied, turning back to her work, "Tell the Captain to start without me. He usually does anyway."

The grunt said nothing, the sound of heavy boots walking away from her was the only answer she needed. Valhalla was near. Her crew, so close. 

She couldn't wait to finally see a face happy to see her.

As she reached the flight deck, she found the rest of the crew had beat her there. It didn’t feel good to have everyone stare at her as she walked into the deck. The rest of the crew were close to the Captain, surrounding the large holo-table in the middle of the room. Leaning against a post as she listened to Captain Sigefrid talk, Eadith stood in silence as she subconsciously focused on the way the band on her wrist _itched_ to be touched. Eadith would not cave. **She couldn’t.**

“It seems that Mercia Corps suspicions were correct,” Sigefrid told the team as he pulled up a hologram that hovered above the table, “Our radars have not picked up any other ship in Valhalla’s orbit, it seems that the Bebbanburg has indeed crashed onto the plant’s surface. I am going with half our team on a shuttle to the surface to scout for their ship. The team will be the following,” Sigefrid picked up a tablet that was on the table and started reading off names, “Bloodhair, Skade, Jackdaw, and Björn- you all shall join me on the first shuttle. The rest of you will wait here until we return.”

_He didn’t say my name._

_Why didn’t he say my name?_

“Captain,” Eadith called out, stepping closer to the rest of the crew, “May I ask, why am I not part of the first team to go down?”

“We are going scouting, Plant Doctor, not picking flowers,” Sigefrid snickered, getting a laugh from the others in the crew, “You will get your chance on Valhalla after we have located the wreck site of The Bebbanburg.”

“And if you find The Bebbanburg crew, I feel that I should be there with you!” Eadith argued as she kept moving closer to the table, “It would be comforting to see a familiar face-” 

“That’s too bad, Doctor,” Sigefrid replied as he cut her off.

“They are my crew!” Eadith snapped back.

“Then perhaps you should be down there dead with them!” Sigefrid yelled, making Eadith stumble backward in shock, “If they were truly your crew, Dr. Blackley you would be down there with them already and we would be looking for your body as well. But you are here on my ship where I am Captain, and you shall listen to my orders!”

Eadith could feel her heart beating heavy in her chest, her mind focusing heavily on Sigefrid's words, “You do not know that they’re dead-”

“This is not a search and rescue mission, Doctor,” Erik told Eadith, cutting in for his brother, “This is a recovery mission. We are looking for tech and bodies. Nothing more.”

Heavy breathing turned into hyperventilating as Eadith’s eyes began to water, “I don’t believe you.”

“Mercia Corp did not want you to know until we arrived,” Erik explained, almost looking sorry for her, “But now we are here, and you know the truth. I am sorry.”

Feeling absolutely defeated, Eadith turned on her heels and ran.

_This could not be the truth. It just can’t be._

**_I don’t believe you._ **

* * *

  
  


Finan had woke from a nightmare with his heart racing, his body cover in sweat, and his eyes full of tears. He had woken up shaken before, but never like this. It took him a couple of minutes to ground himself, finally getting out of his bed and heading to the main living space of the flat he shared with Osferth. It was only 3:27 in the early morning, so he knew his friend was still sleeping. Finan was sure to keep quiet as he headed to the sofa, carefully laying his tired body down to stare at the ceiling. He had his first appointment with the company therapist in the morning, and as much as he knew Finan needed to tell _someone_ about what was happening to him it was clear this wasn’t the person he wanted to talk to.

The only person he wanted to talk to now was billions of miles away and wanted nothing to do with him.

It hurt. More than anything Finan’s ever felt before. Even more than the betrayal of his own family. What hurt the most was not knowing _why_ it hurt. He was told that people linked by the S.N.A.P. had never gone as long he has without communication and those who did shut down their S.NA.P. systems much earlier on. It made Finan feel weak. He would cry and be angry for no reason, and his chest would feel like his heart was constantly trying to escape. Nothing about it was healthy.

And yet the thought of turning it all off now made him feel nauseous. 

“Finan?” A voice called out from the darkness. Finan sat up to see that Osferth had come out of his room, “Want some company, mate?”

“Baby Monk,” Finan smirked, wiping his face to make sure all evidence of him crying was gone, “I didn’t wake ya, did I?”

“No, I just couldn’t sleep,” Osferth told him as he joins him in the living room, sitting in a chair across from him, “You?”

Finan shook his head no as he sat upright, “Nope. I don’t really sleep much anymore.”

“Hopefully tomorrow night will be better,” Osferth smiled lightly, getting comfortable in his seat, “Hey Finan…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember Sihtric, from Uni?” Osferth asked him.

“The skinny guy who used to go drinking with us? With the different eyes?” Finan asked, thinking back to their _glory days._ Long before they had all the worries adult life had to offer.

“Yeah, him,” Osferth smirked, “He’s married now.”

Finan snorted as his mind became flooded with memories of the three guys getting _piss drunk_ together, “Is he now?”

“Yup, a whole _football’s_ team worth of little ones, too,” Osferth and Finan both laugh a the thought of it, and then Osferth clears his throat, “He- uh, he’s the guy I had mentioned before. The S.N.A.P. tech... at least he was. He quit a few years back, but still knows the system like the back of his hand.”

“Osferth-” Finan started to sigh.

“I know, the company won’t let you turn it off just in case but **fuck** the company, Finan,” Osferth cursed, getting visibly frustrated. His _good Christian boy_ of a best friend never cursed, so Finan knew he was serious, “I can’t just sit back and watch you like this anymore. The system is tearing you apart. It’s not healthy, and you don’t deserve it.”

For no good reason other than the fucking chip, Finan started to tear up, “I can’t, Baby Monk, I can’t-”

“Please, Finan,” Osferth begged, leaning forward in his seat with hands clenched tightly together, “She’s not going to call, and it’s killing you. I can’t let this happen any longer. Let me take you to Sihtric, we can get it turned off-”

"No-”

“Finan, you must!” Osferth finally snapped, his own eyes watering, “Please.”

Exhausted, Finan wiped the tears from his eyes, sitting for a while with his hands covering his face. Osferth was right, the S.N.A.P. was mentally destroying him. As much as it killed Finan to admit that the system was messing him up, it was high time to admit defeat. The last six months had taken their toll and he needed a change because, without it, Finan would surely lose his mind. He could wait no longer. 

His mind couldn’t take it.

“You win. I yield. Take me to Sihtric in the-” Before Finan could finish his sentence there was a long-forgotten sound in the back of his head, “Oh god…”

“What!?” Osferth gasped in worry.

Finan looked down at his SNAPware. It was blinking, “It’s Eadith,” Finan was so relieved, tears fell freely down his cheeks, “She’s calling.”

Osferth chuckled, also feeling the relief, “Bloody pick it up then, are you daft?!”

Taking a deep breath, Finan cleared his throat and tapped the S.N.A.P. chip on the side of his temple, “Eadith?”

“I-” He could hear her choking up, which hurt him more than he expected, “I didn’t think you would answer.”

Finan snapped his fingers at Osferth, mouthing to him that he needed his phone, “Of course I would, that’s what I’m here for,” He waited for his friend to leave the room before asking, “Are you okay?”

* * *

  
  
  


_“Are you okay?”_

What a million-dollar question.

Eadith let out a shaken breath, curling up her body as small as she could get it, “I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what, Eadith?” The way he said her name was so inviting. So warm.

It killed her how much she loved it.

“Be out here,” She told him, “They lied to me, Finan. Mercia Corp told me this was a rescue mission- it’s not.”

“Who told you it wasn’t? All reports say it is-”

“That fucking _bastard_ , Captain Bengtsson,” Eadith growled in frustration, “He has taken half the crew down for a scouting mission while I’m stuck up here with nothing to do but sit around and wait. I can’t believe they lied to me-”

“Eadith,” Finan’s voice called to her calmly in her mind, “Breath, please, your heart rate is all over the place.”

“My- my heart rate?” Eadith questioned, rolling over to face the window in her room. Valhalla was in her view now, so close yet so far, “How did you know-”

“I can see your vital’s from my phone,” Finan explained, “Invasive, I know. Sorry.”

“Oh, right. I forgot you could see all that,” Eadith sat up. Suddenly feeling less miserable than she did before the S.N.A.P, “I’m sorry, Finan.”

“For what, darlin’?” _Fuck._ His smooth Irish accent sent a shiver down Eadith’s side.

“I lied,” Eadith admitted, bringing her knees up to her chest and holding them tight, “I do need help, and I can’t do this without you.”

“It’s okay to need me sometimes, Eadith,” She could hear Finan chuckle, and for the first time in six months, Eadith smiled, “We have each other now. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

She was quiet for a moment or two, resting her chin against her knee as the smile held tight on her face, “Thank you, Finan.”

“That’s what a _Buddy_ is for,” He laughed, clearly knowing how silly he sounded for saying what he did.

But it didn’t matter, because Eadith laughed too.


End file.
